Straight Up

Could posture be the secret to your total health?

Sandra Lanshin Chiu, a former investment banker who once worked 100-hour work weeks, knows firsthand that sitting hunched over at a desk all day can wreak havoc on the body. After constant bouts of sickness and muscle aches, she left her high profile gig to pursue traditional Chinese medicine including acupuncture and an ancient massage method that focuses on body alignment called Ortho-Bionomy. The result: the unique holistic spa Treatment by Lanshin in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Chiu shares some insight into how—and why—perfecting posture through this gentle massage technique, not the standard deep tissue you might crave, can create a feel-better domino effect.

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Although you might push your shoulders back when you pose for a picture or walk into the conference room at work, the rest of the time? Your posture is probably far from stellar. And it's no surprise. Your body is literally forced into a hunched position—all day long. "Poor posture is caused by putting your body into unnatural and problematic positions frequently and for long periods of time," says Chiu. Think about it: where are you 24/7? Most likely your desk. Or your computer. "I see a lot of people with lower back and hip pain due to hip imbalance from sitting all day working—with their legs crossed, and this consistently elevates one side of the pelvis," says Chiu.

Sitting coupled with holding your body tightly in a crunched up or rigid shape due to stress and tension is also to blame. And do this day in and day out, and the next thing you know, bad posture becomes a bad habit. "Your body can almost get 'locked' into that position—so that even if you're not hunched over a desk or sitting cross legged, your body still behaves as if it is," says Chiu. "Normally, our bodies have reflexes that are constantly working to self-correct us out of incorrect alignment but when we force our bodies into unnatural positions frequently and for long periods of time, we override this mechanism."

And when poor posture becomes chronic, tension, pain and even illness often follow suit. Frequent spa massages are often the go-to treatment for tight shoulders, stiff back and all over achiness, however, Chiu says that they won't get to the posture problem, which could be the secret to feeling better in the long run. "I hear a lot of people complain that the relief from the average massage barely lasts more than a day," says Chiu. "With ortho-bionomy, we're able to provide clients with corrections to structural alignment and imbalance so that what we're actually elevating it to the level of treatment that has lasting effects, not just temporary relaxation."

So, what is ortho-bionomy exactly? The name sounds super complicated, but it's simply a form of bodywork rooted in osteopathy and instead of intense digging into muscles, the practitioner precisely rocks certain body parts and areas up and down and/or side to side or slowly guides their hands in the unaligned area. "It helps correct alignment and facilitate pain relief in a way that works with the natural tendencies of the body," says Chiu. "Think of it as a highly effective, yet relaxing way to unlock our bodies from bad postural habits that over time sculpt discomfort and pain into our bodies."

What's most unique about ortho-bionmy though is that it isn't a get-that-knot-out take on stress. "It corrects the relationships between bone and tissue, organs, muscle, even nervous system and blood circulation pathways," says Chiu. "The wear and tear of our modern lifestyles knocks us out of place and this corrects the 'glitches' in our systems and the result is a return to our innate, natural posture and alignment."

And your cubicle isn't the only thing pushing your posture out of whack, says Chiu. The biggest culprit: over and incorrect exercising. "I can't tell you how many people I see injured from too many or too frequent spin classes," she says. "They also develop these forward leaning postures that put pressure on knees, low back." Then there's the issue of doing repetitive workout moves and using machines in a way that strains the body. "When people work out they are basically training the body into certain movement patterns that affect structural alignment," says Chiu. "If done improperly or incorrectly there is great risk of injury and certain consequence of bad posture." And of course, how you sleep—and what you sleep on matters as wells. "Sleeping on poor mattresses that do not contour and support the body or laying on too many pillows that don't keep the body in a straight line, can affect your posture over time," says Chiu.

The good news? Bad posture is not forever. "The body carries highly intelligent and powerful capabilities for self correction and self healing—and ortho-bionomy works directly with this by placing the body in gentle, corrective positions that trigger the nervous system's awareness that something is off, misaligned, or if there is a glitch in the system," she says. "I can literally feel a client's pelvis shift, or their neck vertebrae slowly and gently move back into place according to their body's natural speed and rhythm."

"Our bodies in their pure, unpolluted form is without a doubt the strongest, most intelligent and efficient structure in all of creation—and the purpose of ortho-bionomy and really all healing, is to coax us back into our natural design," says Chiu. "Under this condition, one's posture is beautiful and strong."

Be aware of your body.
"So many people aren't even aware their posture is off or when they are forcing bad posture on their bodies for prolonged periods of time," she says.Notice if you are hunched over, standing to one side or crossing your legs.
"If you notice yourself doing any of these things, stop and move yourself into a different position," she says.Take a sitting break.
"Get up and walk around, move your body," says Chiu. "The trick is not to let your body get programmed into poor alignment or postural habits, so getting up to move regularly is key for good posture."